CDC to extend transportation mask mandate for another 2 weeks



Reports indicate that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will extend the mask requirement for airplanes and other forms of public transportation for an additional two weeks as health officials monitor rising COVID-19 cases.

The mask mandate was set to expire April 18 but will instead be extended for 14 days more as some parts of the country report rising coronavirus cases caused by the BA.2 Omicron subvariant. This strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 is highly contagious and first spread in Europe, but scientists have not observed the variant to be deadlier than previous coronavirus variants.

The Associated Press reported that the extension of the mandate is being made out of an abundance of caution and that the new expiration date for the masking requirements is May 3, 2022.

CNN corroborated the report, quoting a Biden administration official who said that the government wants to gather more information on the BA.2 variant before lifting the masking requirements on planes, trains, buses, and public transportation hubs like airports or bus terminals.

"Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases in the US. In order to assess the potential impact, the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, CDC is recommending that TSA extend the security directive to enforce mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs for 15 days, through May 3, 2022," the official told CNN.

"This will give additional time for the CDC to learn more about BA.2 and make a best-informed decision," the official added.

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Monday that the CDC is developing a scientific framework that will guide its decision-making on mask mandates and other coronavirus restrictions moving forward.

The federal public transportation mask mandate has been widely criticized as state mask mandates have come down following guidance from the CDC. Public opposition to the masking requirements has led to some violent altercations on airplanes when passengers refuse to abide by the rules.

Though COVID-19 cases have risen in recent weeks, now averaging 38,345 cases per day according to Johns Hopkins University, the daily average case rate is still one of the lowest observed since mid-July, before the Delta and Omicron surges.

According to the Associated Press, severe illnesses and deaths reporting lags behind case reports by several weeks. The CDC is reportedly waiting for these indicators to show whether an increase in cases correlates to a rise in adverse outcomes before ending the mask mandate.

White House COVID czar says TSA mask mandate could 'absolutely' be extended again



With the airplane mask mandate set to expire next week, President Joe Biden's new coronavirus czar on Monday raised the possibility that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could once again extend the federal masking requirements for public transportation.

"This is a CDC decision and I think it is absolutely on the table," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told NBC News' Savannah Guthrie on "Today."

Jha said that the CDC is developing a "scientific framework" to guide its decision making and that agency director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will make a decision on the mask mandate for planes, trains, buses, and other means of public transportation within the week.

"We're going to see that framework come out, I think, in the next few days and based on that, we're going to want to be guided by this decision," Jha said. "Throughout the entire pandemic we've wanted to make decisions based the evidence and science, and that is what I expect we'll do again this week."

.@SavannahGuthrie spoke with White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. @ashishkjha about the rising COVID cases and mask mandates.pic.twitter.com/OZX62EaN3o
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1649676638

The Transportation Security Administration's mask mandate, originally set to expire in May 2021, was extended for the fourth time in March. President Biden enacted the requirements with an executive order in February 2021 to "encourage widespread mask-wearing and physical distancing on public modes of transportation, consistent with CDC guidelines and applicable law."

Congressional Republicans opposed the CDC's decision to extend the masking requirements last month because shortly beforehand the agency released new guidance that recommended that approximately 70% of Americans did not need to wear face masks indoors. Following the CDC's guidance, most states and local governments have loosened masking restrictions, or done away with them entirely, and Republicans and others questioned why the federal restrictions for public transportation remained.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) forced a vote to overturn the masking requirements that passed with bipartisan support from senators but met a veto threat from President Biden.

As the CDC considers what to do with the mask mandate this week and next, several states are reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases because of the BA.2 Omicron subvariant of coronavirus, a new and more contagious strain of the virus that spread in Europe before making its way to the United States. Scientists have observed this latest strain to spread quickly but say that it does not appear to cause deadlier disease than previous strains of the virus.

Jha said that he is "not overly concerned right now" about the possibility of another virus surge like the Delta or Omicron surges. He pointed out that case numbers and hospitalization numbers are among the lowest they've been during the entire pandemic.

“I don’t think this is a moment where we have to be excessively concerned,” Jha said.

Mark Levin: Power-hungry flight attendants hassle passengers for wearing 'offensive' masks



Freedom of expression is under unprecedented attack as American Marxists and corporations silence opposition to their ideas. Now, in these telling videos, Mark walks you through the steps they employ in their evil game. It's a wake-up call to protect your precious liberties.

In this clip, Mark reviews two incidents involving a flight attendant targeting a passenger for wearing the wrong mask. The passenger in the first video was not only disallowed to exercise his First Amendment right of free expression, but he was also told he could not record the incident on his cellphone. Ultimately, the flight attendant kicked him off the flight.

"You don't throw people off of a plane for wearing a Let's Go Brandon mask," Mark said. "If I had a mask that said 1619 Project would they throw me off the plane? No."

A passenger on a different flight is asked to cover his "offensive" Let's Go Brandon mask with a crew-issued one. The man captured the incident on his cellphone and can be heard asking why his mask was an issue. According to the flight attendant, his mask can be "offensive to some."

"When you are power-hungry, there is no consistency to it. You are just power-hungry," Mark said.

Watch the clip to see for yourself. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.


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Militant Mask Mandate | Airlines Crack Down on Let's Go Brandon Masks

Militant Mask Mandate | Airlines Crack Down on Let's Go Brandon Masks